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Increased NATO strikes help rebels beat Misrata assault
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Increased NATO strikes help rebels beat Misrata assault
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By Maria Golovnina
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan rebels beat off a new assault by Muammar Gaddafi's forces on the besieged western city of Misrata, losing as many as 30 fighters but helped by more intense NATO air strikes.
As fighting raged on for the...
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Credit: Reuters/Andrew Winning
By Maria Golovnina
TRIPOLI |
Sat Apr 9, 2011 11:26pm EDT
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan rebels beat off a new assault by Muammar Gaddafi's forces on the besieged western city of Misrata, losing as many as 30 fighters but helped by more intense NATO air strikes.
As fighting raged on for the coastal town, where conditions are said to be desperate, a buoyant Muammar Gaddafi made his first television appearance for five days and his troops engaged rebels in more fighting on the eastern front of the civil war.
Misrata is the last major rebel outpost in the west of Libya. Gaddafi's forces appear bent on seizing the city and crucially its port, which some analysts say Gaddafi needs if he is to survive a long conflict.
Rebel spokesman Mustafa Abdulrahman said by telephone Saturday's fighting centered on a road to Misrata port, where a Red Cross vessel brought in badly needed medical supplies earlier in the day.
Abdulrahman praised what he called a positive change from NATO, saying its aircraft carried out several air strikes on Gaddafi's besieging forces. Rebels have complained for days that NATO is too slow to respond to government attacks.
A government-organized trip to Misrata revealed deserted streets and many heavily shelled buildings in the city's south. An official there said a NATO strike hit the outskirts and a warplane could be seen sweeping across the sky.
NATO aircraft hit 15 tanks near Misrata and two south of Brega in the east of the country on Friday and early Saturday, an alliance official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
NATO's commander of Libyan operations said the alliance, which took command of air strikes against Gaddafi on March 31, had destroyed "a significant percentage" of his armored forces and ammunition stockpiles east of Tripoli in the past 24 hours.
Canadian Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard also accused Gaddafi's forces of using civilians as human shields, adding to similar charges made by other Western commanders.
"We have observed horrific examples of regime forces deliberately placing their weapons systems close to civilians, their homes and even their places of worship," Bouchard said in a statement on Saturday.
"Troops have also been observed hiding behind women and children. This type of behavior violates the principles of international law and will not be tolerated."
GADDAFI VISIT
Misrata, 200 km (125 miles) east of the capital Tripoli, has been under siege by Gaddafi's forces for weeks. Libya's third largest city, it rose up with other towns in mid-February.
"Today they (government troops) attacked Misrata on three fronts," a rebel who identified himself as Abdelsalem said by telephone. "Medical workers and rebels told me that at least 30 rebel fighters were killed in Misrata today."
A second rebel spokesman, Saadoun, said the day's rebel death toll was eight confirmed and 10 unconfirmed. Five rebels were killed in another government assault on Friday.
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Comments (1)
Jeanmichel wrote:
It seems that NATO is proud that its forces are dropping bombs and killing people in Libya. Killing people, whoever they are and for whatever reason, is a crime.
Apr 09, 2011 10:37pm EDT -- Report as abuse
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